20 Fall Superfoods to Boost Your Immune System

A common mistake people make when it comes to proper nutrition for the immune system is thinking that if you eat poorly in general, eating once a single healthy food is a guarantee that you will avoid a cold.

“What is a far better approach is to eat a balanced nutrition throughout the year with a lot of veggies and fruits, healthy fats, protein and good carbs,” Katharina Kaiser, nutritionist at fitness company Freeletics, says. “This can be your key to not getting sick at all throughout the year.”

Foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, enzymes, antioxidants and fiber are your best friends. Whatever you eat, quality is key. When you buy veggies and fruits, they should be as fresh as possible, and this is why you want to in season. They are also cheaper, too.

“So-called fresh fruits have usually been harvested many days before finding themselves on the supermarket shelf.” Exposure to light and high storage temperatures is known to decrease the nutrient content, each being inevitable features of transportation, she adds. “If you want to really have fresh foods, you can go to your nearest farmers market.”

“Superfood” is simply a marketing term used to describe produce and other items in the grocery stores that are rich in nutrients lowering bad cholesterol and the risk of heart problems, cancer and other diseases.